PROVIDENCE – Four hundred plus members of the Northeast Lieutenancy of the United States for the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre joined together on Saturday, October 19, to welcome 49 new men and women to their ranks. Seventeen of these hail from the Diocese of Providence. The Mass was concelebrated by two esteemed Knights, Bishop Cristiano G. Borro, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, and Bishop Robert J. McManus of the Diocese of Worcester, together with priests of the Diocese of Providence. It was part of the Knights’ Annual Investiture Weekend. Each year, this weekend is hosted by a different diocese that makes up the Northern Lieutenancy.
Before Mass, Archbishop Richard G. Henning presided over the ceremony of investiture, in which he initiated each new member into the Order, placing his episcopal crozier on the person’s shoulder and bestowing upon them a medallion with the Jerusalem Cross on it, the official symbol of the order.
As Mass began, current and aspiring members of the knightly order – men dressed in white copes with a red Jerusalem Cross stitched into the side and women in black dresses and chapel veils – processed into the cathedral, illuminated by the golden light of the late afternoon sun. Booming organ music accompanied them, played by organist Philip Farone, himself a member of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, with liturgical chanting by the Gregorian concert choir conducted by Monsignor Anthony Mancini, cathedral rector.
The Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, formally known as the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, dates back to the First Crusade, when European Christians took control of Jerusalem in 1099 and became protectors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is believed to be the place of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The Order was formed to protect both the church and the priests who served there. With the fall of the Holy Land in later Crusades, the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre survived in Europe mainly due to their close ties to local kings, princes, bishops and the Holy See. In the Holy Land, they survived because of their connection to the Franciscan Order, appointed by the Church to protect the Christian holy sites in Israel.
Lieutenant H.E. Gerard J. Foley, KGCHS, explains why the Order exists today. “The primary mission of the Order is to enhance the spiritual life of our members and to provide financial and prayerful support to the parishes, schools and other crucial social services in the Holy Land.”
“It’s a very simple mission,” added Tim Milner, a member of the Holy Land Commission for the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. “We have a papal mission to provide financial and prayerful support to all the Christians in the Holy Land, to help them take care of not only their faith, but also to take care of the places that are a part of our faith.”
The Northern Lieutenancy comprises eight dioceses in New England: four in Massachusetts, one each in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and, of course, Rhode Island. The weekend included a new members’ orientation, business meeting and updates on support the Order provides in the Holy Land as well as speakers who gave personal testimonies of life in that region and the continuing need for aid to Christians living there. Next year’s weekend will be held in the Archdiocese of Boston.
Many of those in attendance found it a moving experience. “It’s been an extraordinary weekend,” said John Corcoran, one of the new initiates and a member of the Archdiocese of Boston. Corcoran noted how he was particularly drawn to the Order’s work in advocating for the needs of the Christians of the Holy Land.
“It was beautiful. It’s hard to put into words,” said Joann Donahue, a parishioner of St. Rocco’s parish in Johnston, who was invested as a Dame of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. “We learned so much about the mission of the Order in Jerusalem.”
“There are so many organizations [in the Church] that nobody knows about,” said her husband Bruce, who was also invested as a knight. “It’s honoring, but it’s a lifetime commitment.”
This commitment includes several duties and responsibilities meant to help members grow in their spiritual lives and charitable works. But as Archbishop Henning reminded those present in his homily, “When God wanted to save us, God gave us His own heart, His beloved Son. … He walks beside us, He walks with us. … As we come closer to Him, we hear the heartbeat of God. It’s a transforming power.”
